Middle East

Turkey Arrests Two on Charges of Spying for Israel
Turkey Arrests Two on Charges of Spying for Israel

Turkish intelligence has arrested two people on suspicion of spying for Israel's Mossad and providing information that helped the spy agency target its enemies, state news agency Anadolu reported Friday. Security sources said Mehmet Budak Derya and Veysel Kerimoglu had been arrested in Istanbul, saying they had long been on the radar of ...

Graham Cuts Haykal Meeting Short After LAF Chief Refuses to Label Hezbollah Terrorist
Graham Cuts Haykal Meeting Short After LAF Chief Refuses to Label Hezbollah Terrorist

Lebanese Armed Forces Chief of Defense Gen. Rodolphe Haykal’s Thursday meeting with Senator Lindsay Graham ended early after Haykal stated that he did not consider Hezbollah a terrorist organization. In a post on X describing his meeting, Graham stated that “I asked [Haykal] if he believes Hezbollah is a terrorist organization. He ...

Iran Open to Discussing Missile, Proxy Issues Ahead of U.S. Talks in Muscat
Iran Open to Discussing Missile, Proxy Issues Ahead of U.S. Talks in Muscat

Iranian officials have indicated on Thursday that they have agreed to discuss the ballistic missile and proxy group issues at Friday’s nuclear talks with U.S. officials in Muscat, Oman, according to the Jerusalem Post. On Wednesday, the U.S. briefly signaled that it would cancel talks with Iran, with a stated reason that Iranian officials ...

Iran Guards Seize Two Foreign-Crewed Tankers in Gulf: News Agency
Iran Guards Seize Two Foreign-Crewed Tankers in Gulf: News Agency

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have seized two oil tankers with their foreign crews in Gulf waters for "smuggling fuel," the Tasnim news agency reported Thursday. It was not immediately clear what flags the tankers were carrying nor the nationalities of the crew. The seizures took place amid heightened tension after Washington dispatched a naval ...

Khamenei Adviser Sends Message to Hezbollah
Khamenei Adviser Sends Message to Hezbollah

In remarks carried by state-affiliated media, Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, sent a message on Thursday to Hezbollah affirming Tehran’s willingness to face external threats. Velayati addressed the message to Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem following the death of Abdul Karim Nasrallah, ...

UN Warns Islamic State Threat Is Growing More Complex Worldwide
UN Warns Islamic State Threat Is Growing More Complex Worldwide

The United Nations warned on Wednesday that the global threat posed by Islamic State has increased steadily since mid-2025 and is becoming more sophisticated, as the group adapts its tactics and expands its reach across multiple regions. Briefing the UN Security Council, Alexander Zuev, Acting Assistant Secretary-General at the UN Office of ...

Hezbollah Parliamentary Bloc Head Meets President Aoun in Bid to Ease Tensions
Hezbollah Parliamentary Bloc Head Meets President Aoun in Bid to Ease Tensions

Senior Hezbollah parliamentarian Mohammad Raad met President Joseph Aoun at the presidential palace on Thursday as Hezbollah moved to de-escalate its dispute with the presidency. The visit, requested by Raad himself, marks a notable shift in tone following a period of near-freeze between the two sides and comes amid heightened regional ...

Vance: Preventing Iran From Acquiring Nuclear Weapons Is a “Red Line”
Vance: Preventing Iran From Acquiring Nuclear Weapons Is a “Red Line”

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said Wednesday that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons remains a top priority for Washington, stressing that President Donald Trump has repeatedly made clear that Tehran crossing that threshold would constitute a red line for the United States. Speaking on The Megyn Kelly Show, Vance said the Trump ...

U.S. to Resume Iran Nuclear Talks After Brief Cancellation Signal
U.S. to Resume Iran Nuclear Talks After Brief Cancellation Signal

Senior U.S. officials said on Wednesday that they will proceed with plans to convene in Muscat, Oman on Friday to discuss the nuclear issue after reports earlier in the day signaled a cancellation of the talks.  The U.S. has modified its position on the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks after nine Arab and Muslim countries lobbied for U.S. participation ...

Chevron Signs Agreement with Syria and Qatari Conglomerate for Syrian Energy Exploration
Chevron Signs Agreement with Syria and Qatari Conglomerate for Syrian Energy Exploration

Chevron has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Syrian Petroleum Company and UCC Holding, a Qatari conglomerate, on assessing offshore oil and gas exploration off Syria’s coast, according to a Reuters report on Wednesday.  U.S. Syria envoy Tom Barrack also attended the signing of the agreement, signaling U.S. approval as the ...